Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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261. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status and timeline of the legislation to increase parental leave to 26 weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17571/18]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Partnership Government includes a commitment to increase paid leave for parents during the first year of a child’s life, as research shows that parental care is of particular importance during this time.  The Government has established an interdepartmental working group to develop proposals to give effect to this commitment and I expect it to make its report at towards the end of this month.

The Government’s commitment to introduce a paid parental leave entitlement is also in keeping with the policy approach put forward by the European Commission's proposal for a work-life balance directive. The key proposal in the Directive is that parental leave should be made available to parents on a paid basis, and it is currently under discussion at working group level.

The Deputy will also be aware that Deputies Roisin Shortall and Catherine Murphy have proposed a Private Members Bill, entitled Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017, which provides for the extension of the existing entitlement to parental leave from 18 weeks leave to 26 weeks leave. The Government decided not to oppose this Bill at Second Stage, which took place on 8 February 2018.

I advised the House that I was available to discuss the proposal contained in the Bill with the sponsoring deputies. The Bill has been referred to the Select Committee on Justice and Equality and I have strongly suggested that the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality carry out a comprehensive legislative scrutiny on the Bill and on related issues in order to inform the debate and to allow interested stakeholders, groups and individuals to make submissions and to input to the legislative process.

I look forward to engaging in future discussions on the Bill in the context of the work that is ongoing in relation to expanding paid support to parents.